Oni Press & 60Frames to Launch Original Web and Comics Series

LOS ANGELES, CA - Leading online entertainment distributor, 60Frames, and leading independent comic book publisher, Oni Press, are joining forces to create original franchise properties that will simultaneously launch as web series and traditional, digest-sized comics, it was announced today jointly by Brent Weinstein, 60Frames CEO, and Joe Nozemack and Eric Gitter, Partners in Oni Press and sister company, Closed on Mondays Entertainment.

Via this strategic partnership, the first of its kind between independent graphic novel publishers and new media financiers, the two companies will also work to create web series based on select Oni Press’ upcoming and existing library titles. Ark and Men With Guns: Assassin are the first projects being developed through the partnership.

Ark is an original science-fiction series created by Robbie Thompson and developed by television showrunners Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, who are currently executive producing the CW Television Network’s new “90201” spin-off. The web series will feature a combination of live-action and CGI, and follows a young woman who wakes up in a coffin-like capsule and quickly discovers that she is in fact on a large spacecraft. The series will explore how and why she got there, and more importantly, how, and if, she can get home. Both the web series and a companion comic version are slated to launch in early 2009.

Men With Guns: Assassin, created by Emmy Award-winning writer-producer Tom Fontana (“OZ,” “Homicide”), is a gritty drama that follows a high-end assassin who is eluding the cop who is trying to bring him down, and their respective children, who are star-crossed lovers. The concept originated from Fontana’s pilot script of the same name, but was re-imagined by Fontana as a web and comic series. Assassin is intended to be the first chapter of an ongoing “Men With Guns” anthology.

“Oni is one of the most innovative forces in the graphic novel world, and has proven that their character-centric properties can extend beyond comics,” said Weinstein. “We are excited to co-develop a new hybrid of storytelling - one that reaches fans of Oni’s unique style as well as a new generation of consumers across the internet and traditional media platforms.”

”The combination of Oni’s comic book storytelling and 60Frames leadership in web content and distribution is a perfect marriage,” said Gitter. “Our audience is discerning and protective, and they care that these properties come to life on the web in the most authentic and original way, and thanks to 60Frames, we will be able to do that.”